Essentials of Human
Communication, 6/e
Chapter Four:
Verbal
Messages
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Five Principles of Verbal
Messages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Messages are denotative and connotative.
Messages vary in abstraction.
Messages vary in directness.
Message meanings are in people.
Messages are influenced by culture and gender.
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Human Communication
Messages are
culturally influenced.
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Cultural Principles of
Communication
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The principle of cooperation
The principle of peaceful relations
The principle of face-saving
The principle of self-denigration
The principle of directness
The principle of politeness
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Human Communication
Disconfirmation
o
A communication pattern in which one
ignores the other person’s presence and
communication
Confirmation
o
A communication pattern in which one
acknowledges the other person’s presence
and attends to his/her communication
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Human Communication
Disconfirmation
Confirmation
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Acknowledge presence and
contribution of other
Make nonverbal contact
Demonstrate under-standing
of words and feelings
Ask questions
Encourage the other person
to express thoughts and
feelings
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Ignore presence and
indifferent to messages
Make no nonverbal contact
Jump to interpret and
evaluate messages
Talk about self
Interrupt; make it hard for
other’s expression
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Racism
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Classifying others in an inferior position
Makes dominant group more powerful
Inherently racist language—“white”
Commonly called “cultural identifiers”(i.e.
descriptions like old, black, Jew, queer)
Learn to use appropriate identifiers
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Heterosexism
“derogatory language used against gays or
lesbians”
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Avoid offensive parodies and ambiguous
compliments
Avoid assumptions about their relational
knowledge of other people “like them”
Affirm them as individuals
Stay clear of making overattributions
Remember and celebrate relationship
milestones
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Ageism
o
o
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Prejudice against other age
groups
General disrespect for older
people
Age restrictions in certain
occupations
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Sexism
o
o
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Sexist language—either
inclusive or exclusive
Generic “man”
Generic “he” and “his”
Sex role stereotyping
Gender-free language
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Sexual Harassment
• Quid pro quo harassment
• Hostile environment harassment
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Cultural Identifiers
Lady vs. Woman
Older person vs. Elderly
African American vs. Black
Indian vs. Native American
Other examples?
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Using Verbal Messages Effectively
Language symbolizes (but is not)
reality
 Language expresses both facts and
inferences that must be
distinguished
 Language can obscure important
distinctions among peoples

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Messages Symbolize Parts
of Reality.
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Intensional Orientation: Viewing people,
objects, or events in the way they are talked
about or pre-labeled
Extensional Orientation: Look first at the
actual people, objects or events and then
apply labels
Allness thinking—putting into “all” or “never”
categories
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Messages Express Both
Facts and Inferences.
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Fact-inference confusion
To avoid the confusion, remember
inferences are made when anyone
presents “facts.”
A good rule of thumb: A fair factual
statement is made by a person who
describes what s/he observes and limits it
to that information only.
Copyright (c) Allyn & Bacon 2008
Messages Can Obscure
Distinctions
Indiscrimination: Failure to distinguish
between similar but different people
 Solution: See the individual apart from
the group
 Polarization: Tendency to see the world in
opposite extremes
 Solution: Search for the middle ground
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People and things change at a rapid rate
but our messages may not keep pace.
Copyright (c) Allyn & Bacon 2008